Free agent starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen is coming off an All-Star campaign with the Detroit Tigers and remains unsigned with Opening Day around the corner.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday of the pitcher throwing 70 pitches at Cal State Fullerton courtesy of his agent Ryan Hamill of Creative Artists Agency.
Free-agent RHP Michael Lorenzen threw 70 pitches yesterday, getting up and down four times, hitting 94 to 96 mph with his fastball, according to a report viewed by The Athletic. Here is video from his agent, Ryan Hamill of CAA. pic.twitter.com/Qk5ol8Ovq5
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 18, 2024
Lorenzen has drawn interest from the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox for various reasons. The Yankees are without their ace Gerrit Cole to start the season, the Red Sox lost Lucas Giolito to Tommy John surgery, and the White Sox just traded Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres.
The 32-year-old has pitched in parts of nine major league seasons with a career record of 40-38 and a 4.11 earned run average. Last season with Detroit and Philadelphia, he was 9-9 with an ERA of 4.18.
“He’s a guy [Michael Lorenzen] who makes a ton of sense, in my opinion.”
Justin Morneau shares his thoughts on the righty potentially being a good fit in the Bronx with the #Yankees: pic.twitter.com/LGCWlNRE6u
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) March 15, 2024
He spent the first seven seasons of his big league career with the Cincinnati Reds where he went 23-23 in 295 games. His time there is also where his back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen began. He started 26 games with the Reds and saved 14.
Rosenthal wrote on March 5 that Lorenzen continues to seek a two-year deal, according to sources briefed on his intentions. He also wrote that Lorenzen earned $9.25 million last season, including $750,000 in incentives. An increase in his average annual value on a two-year deal would put him in the range of a $20 million guarantee.
In this slow-moving free-agent market, Lorenzen might be asking for too much. He has only been a full-time starter for two seasons and his second half of 2023 with the Phillies wasn’t too spectacular outside of his no-hitter.
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
According to Rosenthal, through Aug. 9 when Lorenzen pitched a no-hitter for the Phillies, he had a 3.23 ERA in 122 2/3 innings. In the games following the no-no, he had an 8.01 ERA in 30 1/3 innings.
While Lorenzen isn’t the same type of starter as other free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, he can help a team in need that doesn’t want to break the bank. He’s coming off a season that included the best first half of his career with his only All-Star appearance and if a team needs a veteran starter then Lorenzen should be their guy.
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